Behind the Scenes Buzz with Mandy Moore and Robert Downey Jr.

MANDY MOORE REVEALS PALTRY ‘THIS IS US’ STREAMING RESIDUALS: Mandy Moore spoke with The Hollywood Reporter from the Disney picket line in Burbank, California, Tuesday (July 18th) about the lack of residuals actors receive from streaming. “The residual issue is a huge issue,” she said. “We’re in incredibly fortunate positions as working actors having been on shows that found tremendous success in one way or another … but many actors in our position for years before us were able to live off of residuals or at least pay their bills.” The Walk to Remember actress added that she has received “very tiny, like 81-cent checks” for This is Us streaming residuals. “I was talking with my business manager who said he’s received a residual for a penny and two pennies.”

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS RELEASES STATEMENT ABOUT PRUNED TREES THAT PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED SHADE TO PICKETERS: According to Deadline, SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikers were shocked to discover that the lush Ficus trees outside of Universal Studios, which provided them with much-needed shade in the midst of climbing temperatures, had been pruned over the weekend. Pine trees on the opposite side of the street remained untouched, as did the pepper trees near the production gate. In a statement released to the outlet, Universal denied intentionally creating obstacles for the strikers. “We understand that the safety tree trimming of the Ficus trees we did on Barham Blvd. has created unintended challenges for demonstrators, that was not our intention. In partnership with licensed arborists, we have pruned these trees annually at this time of year to ensure that the canopies are light ahead of the high wind season. We support the WGA and SAG’s right to demonstrate, and are working to provide some shade coverage. We continue to openly communicate with the labor leaders on-site to work together during this time,” the statement reads.

CHECK OUT THE TRAILER FOR THE SIXTH SEASON OF ‘THE CHI:’ Deadline reports that Showtime dropped the trailer for the sixth season of the hit show The Chi on Tuesday (July 18th). Watch as Kevin (Alex Hibbert), Jake (Michael Epps), and Papa (Shamon Brown Jr.) graduate high school, while new challenges arise for the rest of the community. The first eight episodes from the sixth season will be released on Paramount+ on August 4th. The rest of the season will be released at a later date.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. RECALLS THE TIME HE AND JIMMY FALLON AUDITIONED FOR ‘THE HOLIDAY:’ On a recent episode of The Howard Stern Show, Robert Downey Jr. remembered when he and Jimmy Fallon became “seat fillers” as they auditioned for the movie The Holiday, starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black. “We both got called in just as seat fillers and we saw each other,” the Oppenheimer actor said. “Jack Black is getting his part, and Jude Law is definitely getting my part. But she needed someone to read with the gals, and we’re sitting there going, ‘It’s about to happen for us.’” To successfully steal the part away from Law, Downey Jr. said, “I was like, ‘I gotta have a better English accent than Jude Law at this point.’” However, Kate Winslet was not impressed. “Winslet said, ‘That was the worst British accent I have ever heard.’ And I was like, ‘I’ll check out now, but I’m taking the gummy bears from the mini bar,’” Downey Jr. said.